Richard C. Holloway <learnshops@thresholds.com> wrote:
I'm addressing both Doc and Jerry with my response.
>>My experience in an
>> organziation, that electronically documents all loss incidents (along with
>> their causes and recommended actions) is that the data is seldom used.
>> People very seldom access the information.
>
>My experience, though limited, parallels yours, Jerry. As I've read some
>of the other contributions to this thread, I experienced a great deal of
>cynicism concerning the ability (read interest) of new organizational
>members in using lessons from the past. Part of that comes from my
>academic background in history (yes, I think we're condemned to repeat
>them).
...SNIP...
>I believe that the phenomenon is tied to the fact that many people
>(including myself on many occassions) simply want to "do it" themselves.
I am a firm believer that disciplined team learning, through rigorous
training, education, and mentoring changes this paradigm. I'm currently
working with teams consisting mostly of young engineers, not too long out
of school. I am exposing them to the notions of the learning history,
dialog, disciplined creativity through structured problem solving and
project management technique, and they are becoming team learners. The
company is in a fast growth mode and the new people are eager to change
from systematic to systemic. One of the chief flaws in most manufacturing
organizations is follow-up. Through the use of groupware and group
brain-storming sessions, networked project management, and an automated
corrective and preventive action system, we are teaching them consistent
follow-up and follow-back (i.e.: search for the wheel before you reinvent
it). The combination of the fresh minds and the experienced knowledge
base is beginning to show a highly positive effect. If disciplined
collaboration becomes the corporate culture we'll have a good, solid
foundation for a learning organization in these teams. As they gain more
experience, they'll be the teachers and the research library and the next
generation will hopefully as eager to gain and share knowledge as they.
-- John Zavacki jzavacki@wolff.com http://www.wolff.comLearning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>